CDTA’s Height of confusion

I’m on the record against the CDTA fare hike coming on April Fools’ Day. But in attending one of those public meetings CDTA offered, there was one item that affected me positively, that the age that that a child has to pay was going up by a year.

So I went to the website to see the fares valid as of April 1, 2009 and it reads:Children
Children (6 years of age and under) ride free when accompanied by a fare paying adult. Each fare paying adult may bring up to 3 children with them at no additional cost. The policy will be enforced at the fare box using a measure of 46 inches (average height of a 6 year old child).

OK, I am the father of a soon-to-be five-year old who was 46″ tall last time she was measured. And the age standard appears NOWHERE on the poster above. Does she pay or does she not?

Well, no, I guess not, I don’t think, but I’m not sure.
I called CDTA twice last week. Twice I asked the question. Twice I was put on hold while a very pleasant person sought clarification. In one case, the woman with whom I spoke said she has a child in the same situation. Basically, the 46″ is a guideline, but, supposedly, if I take my by then five-year-old, 47″ child on the bus and declare that she’s five, the driver’s supposed to accept that. But if the child’s, oh 50″ or 51″, then the driver might be more inclined to ask. See, I don’t get it.

I’m guessing that CDTA has been looking at the clinical growth charts to ascertain the average height of a six-year old, but since one doesn’t have to pay until one is seven, the younger threshold confuses me.

Here’s something most bus riders and all bus drivers know: people have been known to lie stretch the truth when it comes to declaring their children’s ages. This is a revenue loss for CDTA – I get it. I’m just not seeing how the reference to height clarifies the issue.

There are all sorts of reasons to use size as a standard for activities. To get on certain amusement park rides, one must be a certain height. Riders of the horses at the carousel on the fourth floor of the State Museum must be under a certain weight. Police, firefighters and the military all have standards. These are based on safety concerns.

I’m told that I’m not required to carry my daughter’s birth certificate or other proof of age, but after already getting “the look” from a couple bus drivers about my preternaturally tall daughter, I’m thinking of getting an ID from DMV – just in case.
***
And while I’m razzing on CDTA:
A $4 day card is for one day.
A $10 three-day pass is for three days.
BUT
A $55 five-day swiper is NOT for five days. It’s for all weekdays during a given month.
A $65 seven-day swiper is NOT for seven days. It’s for every day during a given month.
CDTA might be surprised that there are any number of people who think the five- or seven-day swiper is good for only five or seven days and therefore not worth getting. I’ve corrected a few people myself. Perhaps CDTA needs to work “monthly” into its swiper nomenclature.

4 Responses

NYC buses use height as the measurement for riding free (or at least they did when my kids were short enough to qualify). However, I’ve experienced great range in how it was enforced. It seemed that the more crowded a bus is, the more likely that the driver will wave in my kids exceeding the height limit.

The height requirement is easier then having the driver try to guess the age. Not that it’s exactly a perfect solution as it could keep tall children paying before they’d otherwise have to.

April 1st is the beginning of the CDTA fiscal year, as is the rest of the state agencies. That’s also when they expect a 5 million dollar cut in state aid, which will be made up by the 50% fare hike (a wash).

Swiper cards aren’t that confusing, as they are sold by the month. You get a April 2009 5-Day Swiper card.

Andy – I’m not saying Swiper cards are confusing; I buy one every month. I AM saying that CDTA’s MARKETING of the cards is confusing, because I’ve found myself having to explain to potential customers the value of the deal.

And I sought clarification of the height policy because it would mean buying one Swiper at the old price to TWO Swipers at the new price, thus spending THRICE what I am now, assuming height were the only criterion. Which it isn’t – at least not according to the CDTA website.

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